I get asked all the time what are some of the easiest swaps you can make to start living additive-free without it being overwhelming. Cheese is a really simple swap you can get started with. Many supermarket cheese options can contain additional ingredients and additives such as; anti-caking agents, colours, flavours, thickeners, stabilizers, acidity regulators, vegetable oils and preservatives. The best tip I have when it comes to choosing cheese is to KEEP IT SIMPLE – the simpler the ingredients the better! Real cheese should only contain milk, enzymes, cultures + salt. Instead of purchasing pre-grated cheeses, opt for a block of cheese. Not only is it cheaper, you can avoid numerous additives like anti-caking agents which prevents the cheese from clumping together. Pro Tip: for softer cheese like mozzarella, pop it in the freezer for a half hour. It will make it much easier to grate yourself. Preservatives are another additive I recommend avoiding. It’s very well understood that preservatives are linked with asthma. They’re also linked with behavioural problems, learning difficulties, headaches, migraines, stomach upsets and even skin issues (eczema, itching, hives etc). Not to mention preservatives are also prohibited in foods for infants. One more tip - always buy full fat cheeses. Cheese should be made from full fat milk, not skim milk or low-fat milk. Not only are they more processed, milk in its natural state contains fat, as it should. From a nutritional perspective, cheese is a good source of quality fat and protein, as well as important fat-soluble vitamins D & K2, which means they’re only present when fat is present. Fun fact: K2 is also the vanity vitamin as it’s known to prevent facial wrinkles. So opting for low-fat or fat-free cheese more or less defeats the nutritional purpose of eating cheese in the first place. Although it might seem hard to find healthy, additive free cheese, I assure you it’s not. There are so many great options to choose from. Swipe right for recommendations + check the previous cheese swaps post in my feed for even more options 🧀🧀🧀